Heard on the Beat: Intel seeks 'open' flash testersNews & Analysis 9/23/2004 Post a commentReports have surfaced that Intel is looking to procure a new round of next-generation, flash-memory testers, based on an "open architecture." The chip giant is currently evaluating next-generation, flash-memory testers from Advantest, Agilent and Credence, according to sources.

Dual A/D converter consumes little power at high speedsProduct News 9/21/2004 Post a commentNational Semiconductor offers a dual high-performance CMOS analog-to-digital converter that the company says uses significantly less power than competitive products while providing the GHz speeds necessary for reliable measurements of high-frequency signals. Editor Bettyann Liotta takes you in for a closer look at this product and how it compares to other similar products in the industry.

Jitter analysis software enhances Tektronix scopesProduct News 9/20/2004 Post a commentVenerable oscilloscope maker Tektronix announces the availability of a software package for making jitter and timing measurements on the company's high performance oscilloscopes. Priced at about $4500, Tek's new software's measurement wizard uses the company's domain knowledge to provide step-by-step guidance for users. You can use this new package to measure jitter, even on complex clock and data signals.

RFID tags ubiquitous by 2010, MIT prof predictsNews & Analysis 9/15/2004 Post a commentKevin Ashton, vice president of ThingMagic Inc. and cofounder of the MIT Auto-ID Center, told a keynote audience at the Embedded Security Seminar conference in Boston that global RF sensor networks will be ubiquitous to the point of invisibility within a few years.

Multi-channel 105-MHz data converter PMC module is DC-coupledProduct News 9/15/2004 Post a commentBoard maker Interactive Circuits and Systems is debuting a DC-coupled version of a previously released 4-channel PMC module. The latest board can handle high-speed baseband sampling requirements as needed for communications, radar, and test-and-measurement applications. The DC-coupled inputs are especially useful for baseband sampling in software defined radios.

TDR helps isolate electronic package faultsNews & Analysis 9/15/2004 Post a commentTime Domain Reflectometry (TDR) measurement methodology is increasing in importance as a non-destructive method for fault location in electronic packages. In this multipart series, TDA Systems' famous fault finder, Dima Smolyansky, shows some package faults like shorts and opens, and explains how they are likely to show up on TDR measurement screen. The first part, available here, offers a review of Time Domain Reflectometry basics. Part 2, also available in next week's Planet Analog magazine, b

Measurement Software - connects design and testProduct News 9/14/2004 Post a commentNational Instruments announced NI SignalExpress, an interactive software environment for acquiring, comparing, automating, testing and storing measurement signals. With SignalExpress, engineers can use virtual instrumentation on the benchtop to save valuable time by automating measurements for design, debugging, characterization and validation labs.

Agilent receives patent on USB test specNews & Analysis 9/13/2004 Post a commentAgilent Technologies Inc. (Palo Alto, Calif.) said it has obtained a patent that describes a method to use the Universal Serial Bus (USB) to communicate with a message processing device, including some aspects of GPIB emulation.

Tek's new 4-channel portable scopes take to lab or fieldProduct News 9/13/2004 Post a commentOscilloscope maker Tektronix announces a new line of portable industrial-oriented 4-channel digital scopes, along with some powerful software and dedicated probes. These instruments are designed with industrial power designers and technicians in mind. Click on this story to read Tek's release notes and eeProductCenter Senior Technical Editor Alex Mendelsohn's observations.

Static monitors measure surface voltageProduct News 9/10/2004 Post a commentTBA Electro Conductive Products (ECP) introduces two static monitors that offer a convenient and reliable way to measure surface voltage. Both instruments measure surface voltage in kV at 100-mm, with the ECP 1606 model having a range of 100-kV at 100-V resolution, while the more accurate 1606E model offers a 20-kV range and 10-V resolution.

Tektronix tools target next-gen video compressionProduct News 9/8/2004 Post a commentInstrumentation giant Tektronix is debuting a new software-based analyzer that gives you the ability to investigate compressed video data that's been encoded using various video standards. Tek is also announcing the addition of H.264/AVC and Windows Media 9 support for its MTM400 MPEG Transport Stream Monitor.

Embedded optical time-domain reflectometry modules can work as sensorsProduct News 9/7/2004 Post a commentAnritsu's got some nifty optical time-domain reflectometry modules that can be applied to quite a wide variety of applications. Not only can they be used to maintain cabling in lightwave-based networks, but they also have applicability as sensors. eeProductCenter Senior Tech Editor Alex Mendelsohn gives them an approving nod.

FPGA core to handle spectrum analyzer IF filteringProduct News 9/7/2004 Post a commentHere's an interesting product development slated for test instrument vendors making spectrum analyzers. It's a digital replacement for analog IF filtering typically used in spectrum analyzers. Now available as an intellectual property core for embedding in FPGAs, it can simplify and make less risky the embedding of high performance digital designs into spectrum analysis, whether it's for general-purpose test instruments or application-specific equipment.

PC-hosted software rides herd on CAN BusProduct News 9/1/2004 Post a commentHere's a review of new PC-based software and hardware that can acquire data from an in-vehicle network. Use it to gather engineering data to analyze a vehicle's performance, using data from networks conforming to both CAN and J1850 standards. eeProductCenter Senior Tech Editor Alex Mendelsohn describes the system in detail.

Agilent powers up newest DC supplies with multiple I/OsProduct News 9/1/2004 Post a commentHot on the heels of Agilent Technologies's recent announcement of new modules and paralleling enhancements for its N6700 MPS power sources, the company is rolling out its newest N5700 Series. Billed as system DC power supplies, they offer what Agilent claims is the industry's highest power densities, with one unit in the mix providing up to 1.5-kW in a space-saving 1U-high package.

In conjunction with unveiling of EE Times’ Silicon 60 list, journalist & Silicon 60 researcher Peter Clarke hosts a conversation on startups in the electronics industry. One of Silicon Valley's great contributions to the world has been the demonstration of how the application of entrepreneurship and venture capital to electronics and semiconductor hardware can create wealth with developments in semiconductors, displays, design automation, MEMS and across the breadth of hardware developments. But in recent years concerns have been raised that traditional venture capital has turned its back on hardware-related startups in favor of software and Internet applications and services. Panelists from incubators join Peter Clarke in debate.